New Standby Policies & Fees

Back in the good old days, travelers with non-refundable tickets had the option to catch an earlier or later flight on same day—for free. But in this brave new world of nickel and diming, that’s not so easy anymore.

American Airlines announced that as of late February, it’s eliminating the free standby option for most coach fliers.

Instead, you’ll have to pay $50 to secure a seat on the same day of travel.

If it’s not the same day of travel, you’re looking at a much heftier change fee.

It’s not much better with the other legacy carriers.

Delta only offers a free same-day standby option for Platinum and Gold Medallion members, and that’s only if a seat can be guaranteed.

Otherwise, unless you’ve got a flexible ticket, it’s a $50 charge.

For now, United still lets coach passengers fly standby for free. But if you want to confirm a seat, it’ll cost you $75.

The low-cost carriers are somewhat more lenient.

You can fly standby on JetBlue for free, but with some restrictions on when you can depart.

With Southwest, there is no standby fee, but if you purchase a restricted ticket, you may need to pay a fare difference.

Confused yet? Welcome to the brave new world of air travel.

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